The Quarter Quell and Poppies
by Held Together With Tape
Summary: The Quarter Quell was apon the Districts of Panem. 36 tributes thrown into a new arena, with the Quell's new rule, two can be crowned victor. But will Poppy Allen make it through the games with both her sanity and proclaimed innocence?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

The sun was up before I was. It glared in between the cracks in the shades that were crumbling from old age. The buzz of the generators in our district was faintly heard over the usual squabble downstairs in the Orphanage. As I stared up at the ceiling, that was both smudged with dirt and crumbling like the blinds illuminated from the filtering sunlight. I rolled onto my side.

I didn't want to get up.

I wanted to be sick, or old or dead. Any would be fine. I welcomed all three. I didn't want to pull on my nice clothes, that were becoming thread bear from being worn by many people. I didn't want to eat a small slice of bread and a piece of fruit and drink dirty water. I didn't want to walk outside and stand and hope and pray and wish that I won't be called up onto the stage and congratulated to be selected to die with every person in Panem watching. I didn't want to go to the reaping like everyone else. I didn't want to face the world I was born into. Where you die of starvation and are punished for trying to survive. That is why I run all day, I run around and pass people and myself and forget about everything and only concentrate on making my feet move and to jump over the mines that everyone avoids and to avoid the Peacekeepers.

I, Poppy Allen, an orphan out of many in District 5, did not want to get up and face the twisted world that the Capital had made. I didn't want to become part of the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games, the Third Quarter Quell.

But I never had a choice.

**Thank you for reading this is my first fanfiction, so it would be real nice if you all could comment and/or review this. I'll be happy to take suggestions. **


	2. Chapter 2

Today was the day. The day where no one had to go to work. So you either slept in or woke up and moped around solemnly for hours. It was around twelve when I got up to the screeching of our caretaker. I slowly trudged to the basins filled with the murky water and began to scrub my skin and watched the water turn even dirtier each time I scrubbed myself. My hair was pulled into two fish tail braids that reached my shoulders. With the help of another girl, Kat, I think is her name, I pulled on my dress that was a faded pea green color and buttoned up the back.

How I hated green.

We were marched into the square where we were checked in. Then we waited. In the section of the sixteen year old girls, familiar faces popped out, classmates, old school partners, acquaintances all together. But this was the day when you couldn't be selfless, I didn't know anyone and no one knew me. This was when any pact, friendship or promise was dismissed and was replaced by a selfish desire, a primal need to stay alive for one more year.

My heartbeat became my lifeline.

Unfortunately, the Quell demanded that there to be one selected boy, one selected girl and one volunteer, that would alternate gender with each district. One girl would have to volunteer herself in our district. This would show the willingness the rebels had to try and overthrow the government. But this year the Quell also said there would be two winners to show the mercy of the Capital that they spared rebels when the war was over. In all honesty, having two victors had no point. They were always walking dead, either becoming morphlings, drunkards or driven insane. Some are already insane before they become victors by being driven by a pride of killing in the Career districts.

I didn't want to become any of those, mainly dead.

So we all stood with our masks on as our mayor read Panem's history and list of victors (which was about fourteen long) before he handed the microphone off to the Capital representative. Genesis Landon, a sculptured woman (if you can call her a human) with a surgically adjusted nose and pumped up lips, added with a crimson wig and outrageous pounds of makeup and clothes, she began the Reaping with the usual, "Lady's first!"

How polite of you to show good manners as you were sentencing us to an early grave.

She called up a thirteen year old girl named Mia Clemson and then a seventeen year old boy named Sterling Wilksel. Both stood and peered at the crowd, Mia was swaying as if to faint but kept catching herself. The sobs of the family members were heard, throughout the silent square, that's about all the comfort the new contestants would get. Then Genesis called for the volunteer. Every single girl was silent and we all were frightened to breathe. We shifted nervously and peered at each other hoping that the staring they gave each other would boost the courage (or stupidity) of another so they would go and volunteer. Minutes ticked by and no one opened their mouth. Genesis began to get restless.

Girls began to egg others on with words of encouragement like "you are stronger than all of us" or "you owe us, go on and raise your hand". I stood rooted to the spot looking straight ahead. Finally a voice shouted "I, Mathilda Nestor volunteer!". Collectively, the whole square whirled around to face where the voice came from because that sounded nothing like her. Everyone found her as girls separated from her afraid they would be some how dragged in, catching a disease. The skinny, mangled body of Mathilda stood their wide eyed, beginning to fill with tears. I shot a glance behind her and Eden Casey and her gaggle of girls stood their with small smiles on their faces. Mathilda had just been sentenced by Eden the Mighty Chunk.

All bonds were cut besides hate.

A strangled cry came from the section with the families and I could picture Mrs. Nestor breaking down. Mathilda was a skin and bones kind of girl with straight black hair and brown eyes, But what set her apart was the fact that she had a badly twisted body that had her arms disabled. Mathilda didn't deserve this, no one did, not even bitches like Eden. I then weighed my options and the out comes, time had slowed but my mind didn't. Next came one of the kindest (or suicidal) gestures a person could do. I raised my hand and shouted "I, Poppy Allen will take the place of Mathilda Nestor and volunteer tribute!"

I was the poster child for stupidity and valor.

Every single head whipped in my direction and stared, gaping at me. Mathilda held my gaze as Genesis cooed loudly, jeering me to come up. The crowd made a path for me to walk through as the Peacekeepers grabbed my arms and walked/dragged me to the stage. I then shook hands with both new tributes from our District. Our sweaty palms meeting and our nervous eyes glancing quickly before darting away like a frightened hare. Then we were ushered into the old Justice Building and the hour of our final goodbyes began.

I did have a choice, and I made one that would kill me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

My only visitors were Mathilda, her parents and my caretaker. Her mother was so hysterical that she barely made out a "thank you" through her closed throat. Instead Mathilda and her father thanked me and gave me their best wishes, although they were empty words since my chance of survival was two out of thirty-six, they still were kind enough to give me something, empty or not. Next my caretaker came to sort out my belongings. I left all of my clothes and food and what little money I had in her hands but took the one token from my parents for the Games. A worn pink ribbon that I kept in a box. I took the box and waited for the Peacekeepers to come in and take me to the train. During that time I began to think of ways I could keep myself alive. I had to stand out, which was going to be difficult to outshine thirty-five others. The only skills I had that I could think of were my legs, which were toned from all of my running as well as my arms from all the chores and jobs I did in the orphanage to feed myself and have clothes on my back. I also had a skill with climbing. Be it banisters, trees, buildings well maybe not buildings, but I could climb. But I had no idea how to use a weapon. Be it a sword, spear, axe, knife, slingshot of sickle, I had no idea how to use them. That was what I would have to work on. The door opened revealing the spotless white uniforms of the Peacekeepers, coming to escort me to the train. Once on it, scenery began to go by. I was now going to the Capital, to my certain death.

My time was up.


End file.
